A town in the mountains of Judah, (Joshua 15:49) one of a group of eleven cities to the west of Hebron. The earlier name of Debir was Kirjath-sepher, "city of book," (Joshua 15:15; Judges 1:11) and Kirjath-sannah, "city of palm." (Joshua 15:49) It was one of the cities given with their "suburbs" to the priests. (Joshua 21:15; 1 Chronicles 6:58) Debir has not been discovered with certainty in modern times; but about three miles to the west of Hebron is a deep and secluded valley called the Wady Nunkur , enclosed on the north by hills, of which one bears a name certainly suggestive of Debir--Dewir-ban.

A place on the north boundary of Judah, near the "valley of Achor." (Joshua 15:7) A Wady Dabor is marked in Van Deuteronomy Velde's map as close to the south of Neby Musa , at the northwest corner of the Dead Sea.

The "border of Debir" is named as forming part of the boundary of Gad, (Joshua 13:26) and as apparently not far from Mahanaim.

ATS Bible Dictionary

Debir

A word, an oracle, Jude 1:11, a place called also KIRJATH-SEPHER, a city of books; and KIRJATH-SANNAH, a city of literature, Joshua 5:15,15. Judging from the names, it appears to have been some sacred place among the Canaanites, and a repository of their records. It was a city in the south-west part of Judea, conquered from the Anakim by Joshua, but recaptured by the Canaanites, and resubdued by Othniel, and afterwards given to the priests, Joshua 10:38,39 15:15-17 21:15. Its site is wholly lost. There was another Debir in Gad, and a third on the border of Benjamin, Joshua 13:26 15:7.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Oracle town; sanctuary.

(1.) One of the eleven cities to the west of Hebron, in the highlands of Judah (Joshua 15:49; Judges 1:11-15). It was originally one of the towns of the Anakim (Joshua 15:15), and was also called Kirjath-sepher (q.v.) and Kirjath-sannah (49). Caleb, who had conquered and taken possession of the town and district of Hebron (Joshua 14:6-15), offered the hand of his daughter to any one who would successfully lead a party against Debir. Othniel, his younger brother (Judges 1:13; 3:9), achieved the conquest, and gained Achsah as his wife. She was not satisfied with the portion her father gave her, and as she was proceeding toward her new home, she "lighted from off her ass" and said to him, "Give me a blessing [i.e., a dowry]: for thou hast given me a south land" (Joshua 15:19, A.V.); or, as in the Revised Version, "Thou hast set me in the land of the south", i.e., in the Negeb, outside the rich valley of Hebron, in the dry and barren land. "Give me also springs of water. And he gave her the upper springs, and the nether springs."

Debir has been identified with the modern Edh-Dhaheriyeh, i.e., "the well on the ridge", to the south of Hebron.

(2.) A place near the "valley of Achor" (Joshua 15:7), on the north boundary of Judah, between Jerusalem and Jericho.

(3.) The king of Eglon, one of the five Canaanitish kings who were hanged by Joshua (Joshua 10:3, 23) after the victory at Gibeon. These kings fled and took refuge in a cave at Makkedah. Here they were kept confined till Joshua returned from the pursuit of their discomfited armies, when he caused them to be brought forth, and "Joshua smote them, and slew them, and hanged them on five trees" (26).

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

DEBIR (1)

de'-ber (debhir, or debhir, "oracle"): King of Eglon, one of the five Amorite kings whose confederation against Israel was overcome and who were killed by Joshua (Joshua 10:3).

DEBIR (2)

de'-ber (debhir; Dabeir): "And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to Debir, and fought against it: and he took it, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof; and they smote them with the edge of the sword. he left none remaining" (Joshua 10:38, 39). In Joshua 15:15-17 and Judges 1:11-13 is an account of how Othniel captured Debir, which "beforetime was Kiriath-sepher," and won thereby the hand of Achsah, Caleb's daughter. In Joshua 15:49 Debir is called Kiriath-sannah. It had once been inhabited by the Anakim (Joshua 11:21). It was a Levitical city (Joshua 21:151 Chronicles 6:58).

1. The Meaning of the Name:

(1) Debir is usually accepted as meaning "back," but this is doubtful; the word debhir is used to denote the "holy of holies" (1 Kings 6:5). According to Sayce (HDB), "the city must have been a sacred one with a well-known temple." Kiriath-sepher is translated "town of books," and Sayce and others consider that in all probability there was a great storehouse of clay tablets here; perhaps the name may have been qiryath copher, "town of scribes." Kiriath-sannah (Joshua 15:49) is probably a corruption of Kiriath-sepher; the Septuagint has here as in references to the latter polis grammaton, "town of books."

2. The Site:

Unfortunately this site, important even if the speculations about the books are doubtful, is still a matter of uncertainty. Edh-Dhaheriyeh, some 11 miles Southwest of Hebron, has a good deal of support. It was unquestionably a site of importance in ancient times as the meeting-place of several roads; it is in the Negeb (compare Judges 1:15), in the neighborhood of the probable site of Anab (Joshua 11:21; Joshua 15:50); it is a dry site, but there are "upper" and "lower" springs about 6 1/2 miles to the North. A more thorough examination of the site than has as yet been undertaken might produce added proofs in favor of this identification. No other suggestion has any great probability. See PEF, III, 402; PEFS, 1875.

(2) Debir, on the border between Judah and Benjamin (Joshua 15:7), must have been somewhere East of Jerusalem not far from the modern Jericho road. Thoghgret edition Debr, "the pass of the rear," half a mile Southwest of the Tal`at edition Dumm (see ADUMMIM), close to the so-called, "Inn of the Good Samaritan," may be an echo of the name which has lingered in the neighborhood. Many authorities consider that there is no place-name in this reference at all, the text being corrupt.

(3) Debir the Revised Version, margin, Lidebir (Joshua 13:26), a town on the border of Gad, near Mahanaim; Ibdar, South of the Yarmuk has been suggested. May be identical with Lo-debar (2 Samuel 9:4).

A Nation's Struggle for a Home and Freedom.... The other towns ultimately captured by the southern tribes were Hebron, with its copious water supply, Debir to the southwest, and Arad and Hormah which lay on .../.../kent/the making of a nation/study xii a nations struggle.htm

The Earlier Hebrew Histories.... illustration of the manner in which these old books are constructed is found in the account given in the first chapter of the capture of Debir, by Caleb (i.11 .../.../gladden/who wrote the bible/chapter iv the earlier hebrew.htm

The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus... the three sons of Anak"Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai"and had then promised his daughter Achsah in marriage to him who should capture Debir; this turned out .../.../chapter iiithe hebrews and the.htm

Thesaurus

Debir (12 Occurrences)... possession of the town and district of Hebron (Joshua 14:6-15), offered the hand of his daughter to any one who would successfully lead a party against Debir. .../d/debir.htm - 16k

Kiriath (34 Occurrences)... (WEB JPS ASV BBE NAS NIV). Joshua 15:15 He went up against the inhabitants of Debir: now the name of Debir before was Kiriath Sepher. (WEB JPS ASV BBE NAS NIV). .../k/kiriath.htm - 17k

Kir'iath-se'pher (4 Occurrences)... Kir'iath-se'pher (4 Occurrences). Joshua 15:15 And he went up thence against the inhabitants of Debir--now the name of Debir beforetime was Kiriath-sepher. .../k/kir'iath-se'pher.htm - 7k

Kirjathsepher (4 Occurrences)... Kirjathsepher (4 Occurrences). Joshua 15:15 And he went up thence to the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before was Kirjathsepher. (KJV). .../k/kirjathsepher.htm - 8k

Kirjath-sepher (4 Occurrences)... Kirjath-sepher (4 Occurrences). Joshua 15:15 And from there he went up against the inhabitants of Debir; now the name of Debir before was Kirjath-sepher. .../k/kirjath-sepher.htm - 8k

Beforetime (21 Occurrences)... (ASV JPS). Joshua 15:15 And he went up thence against the inhabitants of Debir: now the name of Debir beforetime was Kiriath-sepher. (ASV JPS). .../b/beforetime.htm - 13k

Achor (5 Occurrences)... It was on a higher level than the camp of Israel in the Jordan valley, and on a lower level than Debir-a different Debir from that of Joshua 15:15. .../a/achor.htm - 11k

Sepher (4 Occurrences)... Multi-Version Concordance Sepher (4 Occurrences). Joshua 15:15 He went up against the inhabitants of Debir: now the name of Debir before was Kiriath Sepher. .../s/sepher.htm - 7k

Formerly (55 Occurrences)... (YLT NAS RSV). Joshua 15:15 and he goeth up thence unto the inhabitants of Debir; and the name of Debir formerly is Kirjath-Sepher. (YLT NAS RSV NIV). .../f/formerly.htm - 22k

Bible Concordance

Debir (12 Occurrences)

Joshua 10:3 Therefore Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, to Piram king of Jarmuth, to Japhia king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying,(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Joshua 10:39 He took it, with its king and all its cities. They struck them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed all the souls who were in it. He left none remaining. As he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir, and to its king; as he had done also to Libnah, and to its king.(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Joshua 11:21 Joshua came at that time, and cut off the Anakim from the hill country, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel: Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities.(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Joshua 13:26 and from Heshbon to Ramath Mizpeh, and Betonim; and from Mahanaim to the border of Debir;(WEB KJV ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Joshua 15:7 The border went up to Debir from the valley of Achor, and so northward, looking toward Gilgal, that is over against the ascent of Adummim, which is on the south side of the river. The border passed along to the waters of En Shemesh, and ended at En Rogel.(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Joshua 15:15 He went up against the inhabitants of Debir: now the name of Debir before was Kiriath Sepher. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)